Google Search Console is a valuable free tool for plumbers that allows you to monitor your clicks from Google Search, the queries users use to find your website, and various technical SEO reports.
Plumbers should familiarize themselves with GSC as much as possible, as it will help them fix serious problems that may keep your site or pages from being indexed.
In the following post, HVAC-Plumber SEO Webmasters will guide you through the Google Search Console and provide you with a guide to help you utilize it to benefit your plumbing website.
What is the Google Search Console?
The Google Search Console is a tool provided by Google to help your site optimize visibility on its platform. Google must approve every page on every website before it can be indexed (or displayed) on Google.
The Google Search Console allows your website to be indexed on relevant SERPs or Search Engine Results Pages. It also enables you to increase visibility and provides you with analytical data on your website.
It can be a valuable tool when climbing the rankings with a handful of primary keywords. The problem may be technical or related to Google’s Terms of Service.
The Google Search Console will help you sort out the situation and provide information to improve your SEO.
One or more of your plumbing website pages may not be getting indexed at all. The Google Search Console will help you figure out why.
Of course, you must know how to use it, so we have compiled this helpful Google Search Console guide.
Setting up Your Website
First, you must register your site on the Google Search Console.
The setup process is self-explanatory and intuitive, even if you have never done it before.
The setup wizard will walk you through each step and help you answer any questions. Here are a few things you can expect, though:
Verification Process
Once you enter your URL in the appropriate field, you must verify your website.
You can do this by uploading a piece of HTML code to your website’s homepage code, an HTML file, or adding a unique name.
Targeting Process
Google will need to know which geographical area your site will be targeting. To set your target country:
1) Navigate to the “International Targeting” tab under the Search Traffic menu.
2) Click the “Country” tab.
3) Click the “Target Users In” box that appears, then select your target country from the drop-down menu provided.
The basic setup process is only the beginning of our Google Search Console guide. In the following section, you will learn how to troubleshoot the most common problems in the Google Search Console, so read on.
Resolving Issues
Resolving some issues in the Google Search Console is pretty intuitive. For example, to fix security issues, click “Security Issues,” and the console will let you know if any security issues need addressing.
If so, they are good about walking you through how to resolve them. Some other problems, though, need a bit more explanation.
Index Coverage Report Problems
The index coverage report in the Google Search Console allows you to see which, if any, of your pages aren’t being indexed.
Go to the Index Coverage section to see if anything appears in the “Error” tab. If there are, scroll down to see what they are.
They could be server errors (your server crashing or out of commission), redirect errors, or 404 errors. Web admins can resolve 404 errors by entering the URL into the Inspection field.
Most error messages in the Index Coverage Report can be analyzed and resolved by entering the URL in the inspection field.
Excluded Pages
Sometimes, your pages aren’t being indexed because they have accidentally been added to the “Excluded” page list in the Google Search Console.
Click the “Excluded” tab on the Index Recovery Report page to check.
You will see a list of pages with a general explanation of why they have been excluded. It could be because the page is duplicate or redirects to another site.
You must address these problems by making your content more unique or fixing technical issues.
Using Google Search Console to Your Advantage
Now that some of the basics are out of the way, let’s explore a few ways to use the Google Search Console to improve the performance of your plumbing website.
Low Performing Keywords
You can use the new Performance report in the Google Search Console to identify underperforming keywords.
The “Pages” tab allows you to see all the pages on your site ranking for these low-performing keywords.
Check Back in 10 Days
Once you have changed the content to improve the keyword performance, check back with the Performance Report to see if your changes improved your ranking for that keyword or if it hurt it.
Find New Keywords
The new performance report makes it easy to get new ideas for keywords that you are underutilizing.
Set the filter to “Last 28 days,” set the filter to “Greater than 7.9,” and sort by impressions.
You will be greeted with a list of keywords for which you are currently ranking 8th or higher.
These keywords are an opportunity to bolster your keyword list and increase traffic.
Fixing Internal Links
Not everyone gets internal linkingright, but the new Google Search Console makes it easier to improve your internal links for a smooth user experience.
To get started, click the “Links” option in the sidebar.
You will see a list of pages on your website along with the number of internal links linking to them.
This tool helps if you want to promote a specific page on your site because it allows you to see if you have weak internal linking for particular pages on your site.
Final Thoughts on Google Search Console
While third-party tools like SEMRush and Ahrefs are powerful and informative, they cannot match the accuracy of Google’s own SEO tool, Google Search Console.
It’s better to collect information directly from the source (Google) than to rely on third-party data.
In addition, Google Search Console is free. It requires plumbers to set up the tracking code on their website, but the process is simple and allows plumbers to monitor their Google clicks and technical issues from that point forward.
Every plumbing website should set up Google Search Console to track website performance on Google search and discover new opportunities to attract search engine users.
SEO competitor analysis for plumbers is one of the fastest ways to identify marketing opportunities.
Through competitor research, plumbing companies can discover overlooked opportunities for keywords, links, and conversions.
Make no mistake: the most successful companies are taking cues from their direct competitors to increase sales.
Keeping a close eye on your competition can help you emulate their success, find opportunities in their SEO strategy, and exploit their weaknesses.
In the following post, HVAC-Plumber SEO Webmasters will discuss SEO competitor analysis, why it is essential, and how to use it to your advantage.
Key Takeaway
Using tools like SEMRush, plumbers can reverse engineer the best qualities of their competitors’ websites.
Perspective on SEO Competitor Analysis
Focusing solely on your own plumbing website’s keywords, content, and backlinks can cause tunnel vision, resulting in missed opportunities for plumbing leads.
When restricting analysis to your own keywords and rankings, you lose objectivity.
Soon, all that exists is yourplumbing website and your unchallenged beliefs about its effectiveness.
The key to dominating your market through plumbing marketing and SEO is to understand what your competitors are doing and why they are doing it.
SEO competitor analysis provides a fresh perspective that allows plumbers to identify areas for improvement and close the gap between keywords and website authority.
Competitor analysis for plumbers allows you to look at the market as a whole and see where you stand instead of where you think you stand.
Analyzing competitors’ SEO campaigns is essential, even if you currently rank well for target keywords, as it can help you stave off new local companies vying for those positions.
Identifying Competitor Strategies
Identifying your competitors is the basis for analyzing them. For example, choose the top three to six plumbing websites targeting your general service area.
Using a tool like SEMRush, Ahrefs, or Moz, search for your primary keyword [plumber (city,st)] and find the top 3 positions in Google’s Map 3-Pack and traditional organic results.
Some of these companies may overlap (meaning they rank in the map 3-pack and organic), while others may only rank in one of these areas.
Once you find your main competitors, you can analyze their entire websites using SEMRush, Ahrefs, or Moz.
You can also directly compare your keyword rankings to theirs to see who is ranking higher for specific terms or whether they are ranking for terms you are not.
Identifying keywords your website is not ranking for (but competitors are) is known as keyword gap analysis, a subtopic of competitor analysis.
For example, the plumbing company ranking #1 on organic search results for [plumber] may also rank for subcategories like [slab leak repair], [hydrojetting], and [burst pipe repair].
Analyzing the Competition
Any effective competitor research will require a keyword research tool such as Moz, SEMrush, or Ahrefs.
Each platform helps identify various components of a website’s SEO campaign, including ranking keywords, estimated website traffic, and backlink profile.
Once you have all your analysis tools fired up, check for the following:
Most tools will allow you to see your competitor’s ranking keywords and compare them to yours.
The comparison reveals if you have any keyword gaps or keywords that you have omitted but could still earn you traffic. It may also inform what new pages or content you must add to your site.
Backlink Profile
Backlinks are the number one driver of website authority, often measured by third-party metrics such as Domain Authority (DA), Domain Rating (DR), and Authority Score.
You can compare your website’s metrics to those of your competitors and identify which domains link to competitor websites.
You may find domains from highly relevant sources (like plumbing suppliers or chambers of commerce) that would also be willing to link to your website.
While closing the backlink gap between your site and your competitors is almost always a positive development, it’s essential to understand that these metrics are merely estimates and are not used by Google for rankings.
However, Google likely has an internal scoring mechanism similar to the ones utilized by these third-party tools.
Examining which pages on your competitor’s site are the most popular is also essential, as these often accumulate the most backlinks.
Some popular pages rank for more than one keyword, which indicates that the page satisfies a broader user intent such as [plumbing services].
Comparing these pages to yours can help you understand which subtopics you might have overlooked and how you can better meet the user intent of the primary term.
Consumer Opinion
Asking your customers and site visitors for feedback is another way to accumulate research data for competitor analysis.
If you have an email subscriber list, send out a questionnaire about your site’s user experience.
Feedback can provide valuable consumer insight into your website’s strengths and weaknesses.
Long-Tail Discrepancies
Even if it seems like your competitor lacks weaknesses, they likely have some vulnerabilities related to long-tail keywords.
Plumbing websites that rank well for primary terms like [plumber] and [plumbing company] might rest on their laurels for long-tail terms that drive traffic on the margins.
The keyword research tools will not pick up all long-tail keywords, but Moz Keyword Explorer is the best at tracking them.
Content Quality
It is also essential to compare your competitors’ sites’ written and video content to your own.
Google will penalize you for low-quality content, so you may be ranking lower for specific keywords purely because of content.
Mass-producing low-quality blog posts can weaken your site-wide signals, negatively affecting service pages and your homepage.
Navigability
Sometimes, technical issues may hamper your rankings, so studying the user experience of your competitor’s websites can also provide valuable insight.
Navigate your top competitor’s sites through the eyes of a potential customer and then compare that experience to your own website.
Do they have any dead links? Is their site easy to navigate? Does every page link to another? Now, does yours?
Answering these questions can lead to quick wins in improving your website’s user experience and conversion rates.
Final Thoughts on Competitor Analysis
Monitoring competitor websites for new opportunities is part of digital marketing.
While creating original content with unique insights is always great, analyzing competitors’ sites can provide a roadmap to dominating your local search results.
While keywords and content topics are the most obvious things to analyze on a competitor’s website, evaluating their site’s user experience and design is also helpful.
While you won’t use everything you consume from other websites, they will help you maximize the value of your own company’s website.
Schema markup refers to semantic code that plumbers can place on their websites to better communicate with search engines and provide more relevant results for users. Implementing schema markup can help plumbing websites generate enhanced SERP features, such as rich snippets, on search results.
Expert Analysis from Nolen Walker
At Plumbing Webmasters, we were an early adopter of schema markup for client websites, and we’ve seen the positive results it can have first-hand.
Why Plumbers Need Schema Markup
Position zero refers to the top website indexed on search engine results pages. Position zero is where you want to be if you own a plumbing business (or any business, for that matter). In digital marketing, it is the most coveted piece of online real estate.
For the past few years, marketers have concluded that schema markup is significantly practical for earning position zero. The numbers don’t lie.
At least one study has demonstrated that websites with schema markup rank better by four positions on search engine results pages on average than websites that don’t utilize schema markup.
While digital marketing experts agree that the increase in ranking isn’t solely due to schema markup, it’s clear that it certainly helps. Schema markup has become a high priority in SEO (search engine optimization).
The bottom line is that if you are a plumber looking to move up in your local rankings, schema markup should be part of your strategy. In the following article, we will be giving all of you plumbers a crash course in schema markup.
What Does Schema Markup Convey?
So, what type of information can schema markup provide online searchers? Pretty much anything. Schema markup is especially helpful for plumbers because, in it, you can make sure that people can see things like
The areas you service
Your hours of operation
The types of services you offer
A map showing where you are located
A list of the pages on your website
Your star ranking on review websites
Current promotions you’re running
Schema markup is all about conveying the information that people are looking for more quickly and prominently than other search results to increase the likelihood of clicking on your site.
How to Get Started with Schema Markup
Google provides a structured data testing tool to help developers make sure that the schema code can be displayed on their site. So this is the first thing you should do once you get your schema code. Here is a breakdown of the steps you will need to take to get your code:
Go to the schema.org website and look up the kinds of code you want to implement. We have already covered the types of data you can convey with schema, so it’s really up to you what you want to have displayed.
Implement the code on the various pages of your website
Test your new schema code using Google’s structured data testing tool
Run a test by simply searching for your plumbing website on Google and seeing if the schema markup shows up
Schema Coding
Once you have your various schema codes, they can be implemented directly onto a WordPress website page and other formats. But you are responsible for filling in the parent data. In many cases, your schema code will start with this:
<span
Then the specifics of the data you want to be displayed go after that in the code. The specific data could be your company name, location, a link to a map, or an image. That part is up to you. It depends on what you want the structured data to display.
It’s important to note that you will have to implement this code and its variations for every piece of schema markup you want to display. If you are a busy plumbing contractor, you may not have a lot of time to do that. Y
ou may need to work with a developer or a marketing team to help you develop your schema code, implement it and design your plumbing website around it. It’s also important to note three basic schema markup formats: JSON-LD, standard schema microdata, and RDFa.
RDFa will work for most of the types of schema markups you want to use and most websites. JSON-LD uses JavaScript and tends to be less complicated to implement than standard schema microdata. Standard schema microdata is HTML-based, and it is the most common format.
It’s also the easiest to learn how to use. So if you are handling your schema markup yourself, we would recommend starting with standard schema microdata.
Common Schema Problems
If your schema markup isn’t displaying properly, some likely suspects should check first. Some of the most common schema markup problems include:
Copy/Paste Rendering
If you are using Microsoft Word or Excel to copy your schema code, the rendering may cause problems. It’s best to use the Notepad application when copying/pasting your schema code.
Google Violations
In some cases, Google may not display your markup because it violates Google guidelines. Just like everything else, Google has strict rules for what it showcases on its SERPs.
Errors in Syntax
Schema code is particular. An errant semicolon or quotation mark can mess up the entire snippet. Go through the code carefully and make sure everything is in the right place.
Final Thoughts
Schema helps plumbers stand out in search results and generate new customers online. Whether you utilize schema to communicate business information to search engines or to achieve SERP features on search results, the benefits are clear.
If you require assistance implementing the right schema into your plumbing company website, feel free to reach out. At Plumbing Webmasters, we’ve been proponents of schema since its original release and have developed systems and processes to integrate it into all of our client’s websites.
A KPI for plumbers, or Key Performance Indicator, is a measurable figure showcasing how effectively or ineffectively your business reaches its target goals.
Best Key Performance Indicators for Plumbing Companies
It isn’t enough to offer the best plumbing services possible. It should be enough, and it would be in a perfect world.
However, in the real world, plumbing business success requires professional plumbing services and tracking your performance in real time.
Keeping track of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) is pretty much a part-time job. It’s essential, though, if you want to make sure your business is making a profit.
To help all the plumbers out there start to get a handle on what KPIs they should be tracking in 2025, HVAC-Plumber SEO Webmasters put together the following list.
1) Seasonal Revenue
Plumbing can be a very seasonal business – primarily if you service a part of the country that sees freezing temperatures.
So, it’s essential to track your sales revenue by season.
This will help you determine when the lulls are coming and when you are busier.
When you have identified your slow and peak season, you can begin to strategize to smooth the peaks and valleys out a bit.
For example, if you notice that you get fewer service calls in the summer, you should start looking into ways you and your employees can upsell customers.
Things like making people aware of how long their appliances likely have before they give out can help balance your slow season.
Remember that most people are looking to save money on their water, heating, and electricity bills.
Selling customers on plumbing upgrades could be another way to increase sales revenue during your slow season.
When calculating your seasonal or annual sales revenue, remember that this figure only refers to the money coming in from customers paying for the services or products you make available to them.
Seasonal revenue doesn’t refer to adjusted income after you’ve paid your employees, paid for your supplies, and operating costs.
2) Business Growth
Another critical KPI for plumbers is business growth.
This can be calculated in many ways, but the most effective is determining your yearly gross margins.
This is where you start to throw things like cost of operation and salaries into the equation.
To find your gross margins, subtract your total cost of operations (supply costs, fuel costs, etc.) from your total sales revenue and divide that figure by sales revenue again.
The final figure is your gross margin for that year.
It’s essential to keep good records of your annual gross margins so that you can compare them year by year.
You can convert the figures into percentages to see how much your business has grown or shrunk by percentage.
Here’s a little bonus tip: when calculating your gross margins, be careful not to include supplies you have paid for but haven’t used yet in your cost of operation figure.
Many plumbers make this mistake, which messes with their books.
3) Fixed Costs
Fixed costs are worth mentioning in detail because they can help make your business more profitable.
You need to get a clear and complete picture of your fixed business costs if you want to break down your bottom line every month (and yes, that is certainly something you should be doing).
Fixed business costs refer to anything you pay for every month.
This can include the rent you pay for your office/shop/headquarters, employee salaries, insurance, or any money you pay for advertising/marketing.
Knowing how much you have to spend every month will go a long way toward pinning down a monthly profit margin, which is another crucial KPI for plumbers.
For a plumbing business, variable business costs are likely to include fuel for your service vehicles, repairs to your fleet, or any maintenance needed at your office/headquarters.
In general, variable costs are affected by your production output.
For example, if you are getting an unusually high volume of service calls, you can expect to pay an exceptionally high amount for fuel.
For plumbing contractors, variable business costs can also include the cost of supplies.
When calculating your monthly variable costs, don’t forget any increases or decreases in price for the materials you use.
Once you have your variable and fixed business costs, you can accurately calculate your monthly profit margin.
Remember to keep neat, organized monthly records so you can see a more detailed picture of how much your businesses are netting.
5) Performance Metrics
The time it takes for you and your employees to render services, the rate at which you sell certain plumbing services, and how much you are paid for each service call on average are all service performance metrics.
Tracking your service performance metrics can help you determine how much revenue each lead is providing.
It’s a refined approach to bookkeeping and is an important KPI for plumbers.
You can calculate how much each lead is providing by adding up the total amount paid per lead in a given amount of time (monthly works well) and then dividing that revenue figure by the total amount of plumbing leads.
You may have to tweak your service performance if you don’t have a healthy revenue amount per lead.
This could mean investing in training for your employees so they can learn to upsell more services and products.
It could also mean promoting one or more of your services more aggressively.
Even finding better routes to service sites may be enough to fatten up your revenue per lead figure.
6) Customer Satisfaction
Last but not least, customer satisfaction.
Did you know that it costs way less to keep an existing customer than to drum up a new one?
Customer satisfaction is an important KPI for plumbers: customer satisfaction tends to translate to customer retention.
You can gauge customer satisfaction by creating a questionnaire regarding your services and asking your customer to fill it out.
Keeping an eye on your online reviews is also very important.
You can quickly increase customer satisfaction by responding to your business’s negative and positive online reviews.
Customers are more likely to be loyal if they feel that their experience with your business is essential to you.
Next Steps for Plumbers
Properly measuring KPIs allows plumbing businesses to regularly take the pulse of their company.
Troubling KPI metrics should prompt changes in your business model and operations, along with promotion.
At Plumbing Webmasters, we can help improve your key performance indicators with digital marketing.
Google reviews for plumbers contribute to visibility and conversions within the digital marketing ecosystem.
Plumbing companies with hundreds or thousands of Google reviews are more likely to rank in Google’s Map 3-Pack for local search queries and convert users into leads and customers.
With this in mind, it’s important to implement a process for consistently generating reviews from your recent customers.
In the following guide, I will outline the best practices for plumbing Google Reviews based on my 10+ years as the founder and CEO of Plumbing Webmasters, a digital marketing agency for plumbers.
What are Google Reviews for Plumbers?
Google reviews are public feedback submitted by Google Users via Google Business Profiler (formerly Google My Business.
Reviews appear on a company’s public Google Business Profile beneath an aggregate rating (out of 5) based on the average rating and are considered by Google’s Local SEO algorithm.
Aside from establishing trust and credibility for your plumbing business, Google reviews also contribute to your Business Profile ranking within the Local Map 3-Pack for relevant search queries.
How To Get Google Reviews for Plumbers
While some customers will take it upon themselves to leave a Google review for your plumbing business, most won’t act unless you personally remind them to leave feedback.
While offering incentives in exchange for reviews violates Google’s guidelines, many of your customers will be happy to leave you a review as long as you simplify the process.
Below, I will detail the tasks you can complete to increase your Google review frequency and enhance your online reputation.
Claim Your Google Business Profile
To get any reviews on Google, you must be signed up with them. Pretty simple logic.
You must claim your business immediately if you are not listed on Google Business Profile.
One study found that 84% of peoplefind businesses on GMB through organic Google searches, compared to just 16% who would come to your site through direct searches (searches by people who already know and are looking for your business).
For another, the “near me” category of local intent searches dominates all Google searches.
The frequency with which the “near me” phrase appears in Google searches has increased by 900% in recent years.
If you haven’t already set up your Google Business Profile, doing so should be your priority number one. Once you have done that or already have your GMB page, move on to the next topic.
Getting the link is easy, but you must take it further by deploying it to get more Google reviews.
Here are some tips:
Add review links to emails: If you have an email list, be sure to add your Google review link to every email you send. This is especially effective when you send follow-up emails to new customers you have recently serviced (and you are sending follow-up emails, aren’t you?).
Add review links to web pages: Your website has prime real estate for your Google reviews link. Add the link or button to your home, contact, or service pages so people looking to leave a review for your business can do so easily just by visiting your website.
Include review links in text messages (SMS): Whether you send a templated SMS message to recently serviced customers or reach out to them with a personalized message, it’s a great idea to include your Google Review link in the text.
Request Reviews
The next step to getting more Google reviews is simply requesting them.
Incorporating automated review requests can increase your reviews up to 1,000%.
However, I’ve found that plumbers who combine digital review requests with in-person requests accumulate to post reviews.
Here are some of the best ways to request reviews:
DataPins: Use DataPins software, which sends automated review requests (via text & email) after each plumbing job.
In-Person: It’s best to ask for Google reviews for plumbers as soon as you finish the job, but in-person is still an effective way to get more reviews.
QR Codes: QR codes also make it easier for people who prefer mobile browsing to leave a review for you. Print a QR code that leads to your Google review page on business cards or other branded materials.
On your Website: You should already have reviews on your official website. So if you do, make sure to add a simple request like “If you would like to review us as well…” and then a link to your Google review page.
Remember to be polite when asking for a review in person, via text, or email.
Let the customer know how much their review means to your business.
Most people are more than willing to help a local business if it has done a good job, so let your happy customers know that their review means a lot.
The Optimal Google Review Rating
Many plumbers assume that a perfect 5-star rating is ideal. But in these cynical times, that’s not actually the case.
Studies show that online consumers grow suspicious of businesses with a perfect 5-star rating.
A perfect 5-star rating may signal to skeptics that the reviews are fraudulent or coerced (e.g., special discounts for positive reviews).
While the ideal Google review rating isn’t an exact science yet, most people believe it’s somewhere between 3.7 and 4.9 stars.
Chances are, your company doesn’t have a perfect 5-star rating.
However, too many negative reviews can harm your reputation just as much.
The key to fostering a generally positive aggregate rating is constantly generating reviews so that the negative ones are overwhelmed by positive ones.
Responding to negative and positive reviews can also help your reputation, showing other users that you care about your customers and hear their concerns.
You should not worry about maintaining a perfect 5-star rating; consumers expect and even prefer companies with ratings between 4.5 and 4.9.
Reputation Management for Plumbers
Google reviews for plumbers are part of your digital marketing campaign’s broader reputation management strategy.
Reputation management expands to other digital platforms, including review websites like Yelp, Facebook, local business directories, and more.
Effective reputation management can also help you get more Google reviews.
Luckily, my agency, Plumbing Webmasters, provides full reputation management services.
Using plumbing SEO, my agency can help you get more Google reviews, increase brand awareness, and establish yourself as a plumbing authority.
Contact me today to learn more about this service.
Before the emergence of ChatGPT, brainstorming blog topics for your plumbing website was a challenge.
Today, AI and large language models can produce thousands of potential blog topics in mere seconds.
Unfortunately, haphazardly publishing posts based on these AI-generated topics can harm your website’s rankings on Google.
Nolen’s Key Takeaway
When I first started Plumbing Webmasters back in 2011, blog posts would rank easily on Google. Today, in 2025, blogging is largely an obsolete SEO tactic.
Plumbing Webmasters performs content writing services for hundreds of plumbers nationwide.
With a decade-plus worth of keyword research data, we can provide a trustworthy list of blog topics that can generate traffic on Google.
However, we strongly urge you to consider other SEO tactics instead.
Based on our internal agency data, we present 102 plumbing blog topics you can use for your website.
We also include the target keyword volume to indicate the post’s potential reach in hopes of boosting your plumbing content in 2025.
You can use these topics for your plumbing company blog to increase traffic, engagement, and rankings, though we strongly recommend utilizing more modern approaches.
Note on Zero-Volume Blog Topics
Although keyword research tools may assign “zero” search volume to a given blog topic, it does not mean that a blog post targeting the query won’t receive any traffic.
In fact, blog topics targeting zero-volume search queries often attract significant traffic from search engines, especially if they provide a unique perspective on a topic that is not currently available on other websites.
Check Out These Plumbing Blog Topics
Blog Topic
Keyword Volume
how to use a plunger
5,400
clogged toilet fix
2,400
how to shut off water to house
2,400
water heater pressure relief valve leaking
2,400
what to do if your pipes freeze
2,400
how to fix clogged toilet
1,900
how to tell if you have hard water
1,900
no hot water in shower
1,900
how to fix a clogged sink
1,600
electric vs gas tankless water heater
1,300
toilet keeps clogging
1,300
water main shut off valve at street
1,300
why is my water heater leaking
1,300
how long do sump pumps last
1,000
how to clean shower heads
1,000
kitchen sink clogged tried everything
1,000
outside water shut off valve
1000
how to clean a showerhead
880
how to clean a showerhead with vinegar
880
how to clean your shower head
880
how to tell if your septic tank is full
880
emergency water shut off
720
hot water tank pressure relief valve leaking
720
water main shut off
720
why is my garbage disposal leaking
720
why is my tap water cloudy
720
does reverse osmosis remove minerals
590
pressure relief valve leaking
590
does drano damage pipes
590
how does a grease trap work
590
how to test sump pump
480
signs your water heater is going to explode
480
symptoms of a clogged drain vent pipe
480
water heater relief valve leaking
480
what is pex piping
480
best temperature for water heater
390
best toilet paper for plumbing
390
how to flush toilet when water is turned off
390
no cold water in shower
390
slab leak symptoms
390
what causes a faucet to drip
390
what size hot water heater do i need
390
what size sump pump do i need
390
what to do when toilet overflows
390
where is my water shut off
390
how to find a water leak in your house
320
how to stop a toilet from overflowing
320
where is the main water shut off in my house
320
why does my bathroom sink smell
320
what to do if water heater is leaking
320
what is hydro jetting
320
how to find main water valve
260
water pressure drop
260
does vinegar and baking soda clean drains
210
emergency water shut off valve
210
how does water filtration work
210
how long does cast iron pipe last
170
how to find water shut off valve outside
170
how to tell if your toilet is leaking
170
how to test home water pressure
170
symptoms of high water pressure in house
170
do green copper pipes need to be replaced
140
garbage disposal problems and solutions
140
bath tub clog
140
how to find main water shut off
110
how to fix a smelly garbage disposal
110
do plumbers do gas lines
110
common plumbing issues
90
deodorizing garbage disposal
90
how often should a toilet be replaced
90
how to stop overflowing toilet
90
how to tell if drain field is failing
90
turn off water at street
90
do you need a plumber to install a sump pump
90
how long does a water pressure regulator last
70
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what is good water pressure for a well
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what type of shower valve do i have
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why is my toilet flushing slowly
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How Long Should My Blog Posts Be?
The highest-ranking blog posts typically range from 1,000 to 2,000 words in length. However, Google has publicly stated that word count is not a ranking factor.
Furthermore, Google values user experience, and most users want to see an answer immediately after clicking on the search result.
With this in mind, make sure to include a “key takeaway” or “summary” section near the top of your post so that you can provide a concise answer to the fundamental question of the post’s topic.
Where Should I Link My Blog Posts?
Link to the most relevant service page based on the topic.
For example, link to your slab leak repair service page if you are writing a post about slab leak symptoms. This way, you move blog readers through a funnel to becoming a plumbing client.
How Frequently Should I Publish Blog Posts?
Publishing frequency is irrelevant. The goal of blog posts is to increase organic traffic from Google and serve as social media and email marketing content.
Therefore, there’s no set number of posts you should publish per week or month. Instead, try to rank for as many relevant keywords as possible.
Final Thoughts on Plumbing Blog Topics
In its traditional sense, blogging is no longer an effective promotional technique for plumbers. Nobody is going to bookmark your plumbing company blog and check out every newly published post.
However, with the right blog topics, posts can still contribute to topical authority. The key is publishing optimized posts that target a specific keyword and topic.
These posts can rank on Google search results and bring in organic traffic.
Plumbing Facebook Ads are advertisements appearing in the Facebook News Feed and other placement areas (on mobile and desktop) aimed at achieving a specific campaign objective, such as awareness, engagement, leads, and more.
Plumbing Companies can run ads through Meta Business Suite, which oversees advertisements on both Facebook and Instagram.
How Much Do Plumber Facebook Ads Cost?
A typical Facebook ad for plumbing companies costs $7 per 100 impressions or $1 per click. However, cost varies based on factors like location, prominence, and brand recognition.
Expert Analysis
Plumbers can invest in Facebook Lead Ads to acquire new local customers for an affordable cost per lead.
Facebook Plumbing Ads Examples
Types of Facebook Ads
Image
Plumbers can use image ads in the News Feed to showcase services. Branded images displaying your team and staff create the most engagement and clicks.
Video
Plumbing companies can also utilize video ads in Facebook’s News Feed to showcase services. The most encouraging videos include your team at work accompanied by audio and subtitles.
Carousel
Plumbing contractors can use carousel ads for multiple images in the News Feed. You can add up to 10 photos or videos for your ad, each with a separate link. Carousel ads are ideal for promoting multiple service types in a single ad.
Instant Experience
Plumbers can use Facebook Instant Experience ads (formerly Canvas ads) to present instantaneous mobile advertisements that capture your audience’s attention. Users can engage with videos, photos, and carousels within a single ad.
Collection
Plumbing professionals may not need Collection ads since they target product-based sales, which most plumbers avoid. Like Instant Experience ads, Collection ads reach users on their mobile devices.
Facebook Advertising Objectives for Plumbers
Before crafting a Facebook ad, plumbers must set a business goal. Your objective should reflect how you want users to act once seeing your promotion.
For instance, if your goal is to showcase your new plumbing website, you can launch an ad that gets traffic to your URL.
Check out the list of objectives below.
Awareness
Awareness objectives create interest in your plumbing services. Producing more awareness showcases your brand and its value.
One example is a plumber looking to expand their service area to a nearby town. By using the brand awareness goal, you can launch a campaign that inspires locals to choose your plumbing company.
Consideration
Consideration objectives get users thinking about your overall brand. One example might be a local plumber with a new website who uses a traffic objective to streamline new visitors to the website and allow your on-site conversion optimization to do the rest.
Conversions
Conversion objectives are more suited to storefront businesses. Although they typically produce store traffic, plumbers can still creatively utilize them to get on-site sign-ups and other exciting engagements.
For most plumbing companies, objectives evolve. New plumbers may initially focus primarily on awareness. As they build more customers, their goals may progress toward capturing new clients in other service areas. Of course, your company’s budget may also dictate its objectives.
Facebook Ads work best when combined with other digital marketing techniques, such as SEO, and will yield the best ROI in 2025.
Facebook Lead Ads for Plumbing Companies
Some plumbers may hope to convert new customers directly on Facebook. Sometimes, businesses lose out on leads when they visit your website or landing page. As a solution, Facebook Lead Ads create a more straightforward process.
The social platform pre-fills lead forms with the user’s information, like name, phone number, etc., so that more people complete the submission.
Mobile Consideration
Submitting forms on mobile can be a significant deterrence for prospects. Facebook’s pre-filled mobile forms eliminate one of the most significant causes of drop-offs.
Audience Targeting
Not everyone needs your plumbing services. Spending your advertising money on the right audience can streamline lead generation to focus on the most probable clients.
In 2025, Meta’s Advantage+ audience targeting produces the most cost-effective results. This AI-driven algorithm optimizes your ad’s reach to deliver your ads to the most optimal audience.
While some advertisers still prefer to control targeting by restricting ad targeting to users with specific “interests,” they will never be more intelligent than the algorithm.
Luckily, Meta offers a “best of both worlds” option by allowing campaign managers to list specific user interests, such as “homeownership” or “home improvement,” as suggestions to help direct the Advantage+ algorithm.
Survey Application
Qualify your leads further with custom forms that eliminate false leads and spam. Filter out wasted resources and focus on ROI.
CRM Integration
Get plumbing leads to send directly to your 3rd party CRM so you can complete your standard sales process with each prospect.
Facebook Ad Budget for Plumbing Businesses
Your budget is how much you spend on ads and helps you control spending for a specific ad set or campaign. You can either choose an overall campaign budget or assign individual funds to each ad set. Facebook’s built-in CBO tool automatically optimizes your budget if you utilize its presence.
Campaign Budgets
Campaign budgets utilize CBO by default, automatically optimizing your campaign budget in real time. The tool allows advertisers to focus on other areas while the algorithm does the heavy lifting of budget management.
Ad Set Budgets
Alternatively, plumbers may set specific budgets for each ad set, which gives advertisers more control but more work. Manual ad-set budgeting can be helpful for companies with dynamic objectives.
Daily Budgets
Your daily budget is how much you spend on a set or campaign daily. If you’re looking for consistent results, daily budgets often work best. It can also eliminate complications of distributing separate fund amounts each day. Keep in mind that daily budgets have no hard cap.
Lifetime Budgets
A lifetime budget is what you’ll spend over a campaign or ad set’s entire span. Unlike daily funds, lifetime budgets do have a hard cap. If you can’t exceed a specific number, lifetime budgets work best. Your daily spending will likely vary, however, despite the lifetime cap.
Get The Most Out of Your Plumber Facebook Ads
According to Statista, Facebook Advertising grossed 2.02 million in ad spend in 2023. It’s no secret that businesses spend on Facebook. However, many of these dollars ultimately created zero returns.
Plumbers must be clever with their ad spend and focus on their creativity to maximize results.
Consider partnering with HVAC-Plumber SEO Webmasters for your Facebook Advertising needs in 2025 and beyond.
An SEO-friendly WordPress theme for plumbers is a pre-made folder containing graphics, style sheets, and a codebase that enables plumbing companies without design expertise to quickly publish a functional website.
The term “SEO theme” distinguishes these from generic WordPress themes: a plumber SEO theme is built or configured to support local search visibility, not just visual presentation.
WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS), meaning designers and developers worldwide can create themes that users download and install through the WordPress dashboard.
No other CMS comes close in plugin ecosystem, developer support, or flexibility for local service businesses.
Key Findings:
A WordPress theme controls your plumbing website’s appearance, structure, and underlying code, all of which affect how Google indexes and ranks your pages.
WordPress powers more than 40% of all websites and holds over 60% of the CMS market as of 2026, making it the most widely used CMS and the most supported platform for contractor websites.
The technical features of a theme, mobile responsiveness, page speed, and structured data markup matter more to local search performance than visual design.
Google completed its shift to mobile-first indexing in July 2024, meaning your site is now crawled and ranked based on how it performs on a phone, not a desktop.
Free themes can be a functional starting point, but they typically lack the contractor-specific structure and SEO configuration that competitive local markets require.
Plumbing companies in competitive service areas generally benefit from a professionally built theme with local SEO architecture built in from the start.
Understanding WordPress Themes
A WordPress theme is a collection of template files, stylesheets, and code that determines how a website looks and behaves.
For a plumbing company, the theme controls page layout, navigation structure, how service pages are organized, and how the site performs on mobile devices and in Google’s index.
Most plumbing company websites share a similar format: clean layout, prominent phone number, service area pages, and a contact form.
That consistency reflects a practical reality: the decorative, animation-heavy designs common in other industries tend to add image weight and JavaScript overhead, which slow load times and suppress search rankings.
Visual complexity is a load performance problem as much as an aesthetic choice.
What a plumbing WordPress theme needs to include:
Mobile-responsive design. Google completed its migration to mobile-first indexing in July 2024, meaning Googlebot now crawls and evaluates the mobile version of every site as the primary version. A theme that renders poorly on a phone will underperform in search regardless of its desktop appearance.
Core Web Vitals compatibility. Google measures page experience through three metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP, target under 2.5 seconds), Interaction to Next Paint (INP, target under 200 milliseconds), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS, target below 0.1). Themes built on heavy page builders or loaded with unoptimized scripts routinely fail these thresholds, which affects ranking in competitive local results.
Structured data support. LocalBusiness schema markup is JSON-LD code embedded in a theme or added via a plugin that tells Google your business name, address, phone number, service hours, and location. This structured data helps Google accurately display your business in local search results and Google Maps. In WordPress, schema can be implemented through SEO plugins, such as Rank Math and Yoast SEO, or added directly to a theme’s header files.
Service area page structure. A well-built plumber theme provides templates for individual service areas or city pages, as well as the architecture that supports local keyword targeting across multiple markets.
SEO plugin compatibility. WordPress supports dedicated SEO plugins that analyze content, manage metadata, generate XML sitemaps, and handle schema output. Yoast SEO and Rank Math are the two most widely used WordPress SEO plugins, with millions of active installations between them. A theme that conflicts with either creates ongoing optimization problems.
A Custom, SEO-Friendly WordPress Theme for a Local Plumbing Company Featuring The Qualities Mentioned on This Page
The Cost of WordPress Themes
WordPress themes range from free to several thousand dollars for fully custom builds. Price tier, however, is not a reliable indicator of SEO suitability on its own; the relevant variables are code quality, mobile performance, schema support, and compatibility with WordPress SEO plugins.
Tier
Typical Cost
What You Get
Local SEO Limitations
Free (WordPress.org directory)
$0
Passes WordPress review standards; basic responsive design; community support
Generic structure; no contractor-specific layout; no local schema configuration; limited or no dedicated support
Premium off-the-shelf
$50–$200 one-time or annual
More design options; often includes page builder integration; faster setup
Still generic; SEO configuration left to site owner; Core Web Vitals performance varies significantly by theme
Agency-built contractor theme
$500–$3,000+
Built for a specific trade vertical; local SEO architecture included; service area page templates; schema pre-configured
Higher upfront cost; tied to the agency’s platform or update cycle
Fully custom theme
$3,000–$10,000+
Purpose-built for the business; clean codebase; no bloat from unused features; full control over structure and performance
WordPress supports local search optimization through its plugin ecosystem, flexible content architecture, and open codebase, all of which give a plumbing company more technical control than closed website builders like Wix or Squarespace.
Plugin ecosystem
WordPress SEO plugins handle the optimization tasks that most plumbing company owners should not be managing manually.
Yoast SEO and Rank Math both analyze page content against target keywords, manage title tags and meta descriptions, generate XML sitemaps, and output LocalBusiness schema markup.
Either plugin, properly configured, covers the on-page SEO fundamentals for a contractor website.
Content Architecture
WordPress makes it straightforward to build and maintain service pages, location pages, and blog content within a single site structure.
For a plumbing company targeting multiple cities or neighborhoods, this matters: each service area page can be optimized individually without custom development.
Technical flexibility
Unlike hosted website builders, WordPress gives site owners and developers direct access to theme files, server configuration, and structured data output.
This means schema markup can be customized, page speed can be optimized at the code level, and the site can be adapted as Google’s ranking signals evolve.
When WordPress is Not The Right Choice for Plumbers
A plumbing company owner who has no developer support, no intent to invest in ongoing maintenance, and a primary need to get a basic site live quickly may find a hosted builder faster to launch.
WordPress requires active maintenance, including core and plugin updates, as well as occasional compatibility work.
Without that maintenance, security vulnerabilities accumulate, and performance degrades. The platform’s flexibility is only an advantage when someone is managing it.
Custom Theme vs. DIY: How to Decide
The decision between building a WordPress site yourself and hiring a professional developer depends on your technical capabilities, market competitiveness, and the centrality of the website to lead generation.
Factor
DIY with off-the-shelf theme
Professionally built / agency theme
Upfront cost
Low ($0–$200)
Higher ($500–$10,000+ depending on scope)
Time to launch
Fast (days to weeks)
Slower (weeks to months)
Local SEO configuration
Owner-managed; requires plugin knowledge
Pre-configured by developer
Schema markup
Manual setup via plugin
Built into theme or pre-configured
Core Web Vitals performance
Varies; depends on theme choice and optimization
Optimized during build
Service area page structure
Generic templates
Built for trade contractor use case
Ongoing maintenance
Owner-managed
Often supported by agency or developer
When to Build it Yourself
DIY is a reasonable starting point for a plumbing business in a low-competition market, for a new business establishing an initial online presence, or for an owner with prior WordPress experience who can configure SEO plugins and maintain the site independently.
When to Hire a Professional
If the website is the primary source of inbound leads, the service area includes competitive markets where other plumbing companies are actively investing in SEO, or the owner does not have time to manage WordPress maintenance, a professionally built theme is likely to deliver better long-term results.
The cost difference between a DIY setup and a professionally built site is typically recovered if the site generates even one or two additional jobs per month.
Custom WordPress Themes for Plumbing Companies
Plumbing Webmasters builds custom WordPress themes designed specifically for residential plumbing companies.
Each theme is built with mobile-first architecture, pre-configured LocalBusiness schema markup, service area page templates, and Core Web Vitals performance as a baseline requirement.
For plumbing companies evaluating whether a custom theme is the right investment, contact Plumbing Webmasters to discuss your market, your current site’s performance, and what a purpose-built theme would involve.
Starting a plumbing business is an excellent investment, as the industry is valued at $166.5 billion and continues to grow.
That’s why the allure of becoming a self-employed business owner appeals to people who want to escape a grueling work schedule and an unpleasant boss.
However, starting a plumbing company requires more than job experience or being good with your hands.
As the founder and CEO of Plumbing Webmasters, a digital marketing agency for plumbers, I’ve worked with thousands of plumbing business owners over the past ten years.
Some of the traits these owners share are a dedication to business growth and a strong business foundation.
Based on my experience, I’ll outline 14 steps to starting a plumbing business.
1) Write a Business Plan
A business plan is the constitution of your plumbing company and sets the foundation for its future success.
Investors will only show interest in your company if you have a compelling business plan that outlines your brand vision.
A plumbing business plan includes:
Cover Page
Executive Summary
Business Overview
Market Analysis
List of Services
Service Pricing
Marketing Plan
Financial Plan
2) Set Plumbing Business Goals
Successful companies set defined goals, and you should quickly identify your objectives for your plumbing business.
For example, consider your reasons for starting a plumbing company and your short and long-term vision for the brand.
Next, write down specific goals that can help you realize that vision. Use SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Examples of business goals include:
Get 20 5-star Google Reviews within 3 months
Convert $90,000 in sales within 12 months
Hire at least three employees within 24 months
Deploy a second plumbing truck within 36 months
Writing down these goals makes them tangible, and setting a time limit makes them urgent.
3) Find a Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
As the long-time owner of a digital marketing agency, I can save you a ton of headaches by revealing this early: plumbers who make it have a unique value proposition (UVP).
A UVP differentiates your company from local competitors by niching down or specializing in a specific service type or category.
Examples of UVPs for a plumbing business include:
24/7 Emergency Plumbing
Community-Based Plumbing
Rooter and Drain Specialists
Water Heater Specialists
Eco-Friendly Plumbing
Cutting-Edge Plumbing Technology
Veteran-Owned Business
Black-Owned Business
Women-Owned Business
Whatever your UVP, be sure to include it in your marketing materials, such as flyers, truck wraps, Google Business Profile, and website.
4) Study Local Government Regulation
The fastest way to ensure your plumbing company fails is to ignore local government regulations and plumbing codes, which can shatter your dream before it even gets started.
Failure to comply with local regulations can result in fines and the suspension of your license.
This State Plumbing Codes list outlines which plumbing code institution each U.S. state has adopted.
State
Institution
Alabama
International Code Council (IPC)
Alaska
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
Arizona
International Code Council (IPC)
Arkansas
International Code Council (IPC)
California
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
Colorado
International Code Council (IPC)
Connecticut
International Code Council (IPC)
Delaware
International Code Council (IPC)
Florida
International Code Council (IPC)
Georgia
International Code Council (IPC)
Hawaii
Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC)
Idaho
Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC)
Illinois
Illinois Plumbing Code
Indiana
Indiana Plumbing Code; International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
Iowa
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC); International Code Council (IPC)
Kansas
International Code Council (IPC)
Kentucky
Kentucky State Plumbing Code; National Plumbing Code Coordinating Committee
Louisiana
Louisiana State Plumbing Code
Maine
Maine Internal Plumbing Code
Maryland
International Code Council (IPC)
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Uniform State Plumbing Code
Michigan
International Code Council (IPC)
Minnesota
Minnesota Plumbing Code
Mississippi
International Code Council (IPC)
Missouri
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
Montana
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
Nebraska
International Code Council (IPC)
Nevada
International Code Council (IPC); International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
New Hampshire
International Code Council (IPC)
New Jersey
National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC)
New Mexico
New Mexico Plumbing Code; International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
New York
International Code Council (IPC)
North Carolina
International Code Council (IPC)
North Dakota
International Code Council (IPC)
Ohio
International Code Council (IPC)
Oklahoma
International Code Council (IPC)
Oregon
Oregon Specialty Plumbing Code; International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
Pennsylvania
International Code Council (IPC)
Rhode Island
International Code Council (IPC)
South Carolina
International Code Council (IPC)
South Dakota
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
Tennessee
International Code Council (IPC)
Texas
International Code Council (IPC)
Utah
International Code Council (IPC)
Vermont
International Code Council (IPC)
Virginia
International Code Council (IPC)
Washington
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (UPC)
West Virginia
International Code Council (IPC)
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Statues, Comm 81-87, Plumbing Code
Wyoming
International Plumbing Code (IPC)
*Check directly with your local municipality to confirm your codes
5) Secure Financing
Startup companies without existing capital will need to secure financing to buy equipment, tools, insurance, and marketing services.
The following options can help finance new plumbing companies:
Friends or Family: Seek loans from family members or close friends.
Government Funding: Apply for funding programs at the Small Business Administration (SBA) for small business loans and investment capital.
Business Grants: Apply for grant programs by searching Grants.gov for up to applicable programs.
Banks: Apply for a small-business loan or line of credit with your bank.
Online Lenders: Explore online lenders like SmaratBiz, Fendera, LoanBuilder or OndDeck.
Credit Cards: Apply for a low-interest-rate credit card to ignite your cash flow and pay it off monthly.
After securing funding, open a business bank account to separate those funds from your personal finances. This will help you organize everything when filing taxes.
6) Register Your Plumbing Business
You must officially register your plumbing business with the local government before taking it to market. Doing so protects your personal assets from lawsuits aimed at your plumbing business.
Register as a Business Structure: You can register as a limited liability company (LLC), which is most common for local plumbing businesses, or as a sole proprietorship.
Apply for EIN: You must apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service to hire employees and adequately file taxes.
7) Get Your Plumbing License and Permits
Each local municipality has its own requirements for plumbing licensing and permits. Research your regional standards and contact the proper departments.
Usually, aspiring plumbers must demonstrate expertise by passing an exam, completing an apprenticeship, or completing a defined number of work hours in an industry setting.
Additionally, individual plumbing jobs often require permits that ensure your service complies with safety standards and local building codes.
Failing to comply with licensing and permit requirements may result in fines, service delays, and severe legal consequences.
Before starting a plumbing company, you can check out this guide to plumbing licenses to get a better idea of what is required in your state.
8) Set Up Accounting and Taxes
Your plumbing business will need a method for managing its finances through accounting and taxes. You can hire an accountant, invest in accounting software, or do both.
Various software tools, including some of the most popular CRMs for plumbers, help streamline accounting and tax preparation for plumbing companies.
However, most of these apps will require integration with separate accounting software, such as QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, or FreshBooks
Proper financial and tax management is essential to a thriving business, so you should strongly reconsider skipping these duties during your startup phase.
9) Invest in Plumbing Equipment
Without the proper tools and equipment, your business cannot perform services, which will likely become your most significant upfront cost.
As a service area business (SAB) that travels to clients, you’ll need a plumbing truck to store your tools and equipment.
The cheap route to purchasing tools creates a shaky foundation for your plumbing company, as your service quality will be hampered and noticeable to clients.
Instead, view these items as assets rather than liabilities, which can help you achieve your previously defined business goals.
Here are some of the essential tools and equipment to purchase:
Plumbing Tools
Adjustable wrenches (crescents)
Pipe grips for secure handling
Pipe cutters for precise cutting
Hacksaws for manual cutting tasks
Cordless battery-powered toolset, including drills, impact drivers, saws, grinders, and screwdrivers
Plumbing Stock
Fittings, including elbows, tees, couplings, and adapters
Pipes, such as plastic and copper types
Inlet valves for controlling water flow
Various tap fittings and accessories
Hot water cylinder control valves
Heating and Hot Water Components
Thermostats for temperature control
Heating elements for water heaters and appliances
10) Set Service Prices
Setting your initial service prices involves more than simply calculating labor, materials, and overhead—you must project baseline profit margins to ensure they align with your financial objectives.
List your fixed costs, such as tools, insurance, and utilities, followed by your variable costs, like transportation and marketing. Then, interject your previous plumbing experience and unique skill or service types.
Research other reputable plumbing companies in your service area to see what they charge for services. Competitor analysis helps your company stay within the market range to maximize conversions.
Underpricing your services can devalue your brand, and overpricing them can alienate your core consumer base. You can gradually raise your prices as you build your brand over time and generate more consistent leads.
Remember that your initial pricing is likely to evolve as your business grows, and I recommend reviewing your prices each quarter based on consumer feedback, operational costs, and market trends.
11) Hire Technicians
While some plumbers start as a one-man show, others with a long-term vision hire technicians immediately.
The first step is identifying your ideal plumber (and person) to fill your initial technician positions. Write the job description in your own words and use a tool like Grammarly to edit the grammar.
Once you’ve edited your job description, create a job post on your website, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and social media networks.
As you accumulate responses, begin meeting with select candidates for an interview. You can hire your initial technicians once you get a better feel for the candidates in person.
12) Invest in Plumbing Marketing
Laying the proper foundation for your plumbing business requires investing in the appropriate marketing channels and avoiding common pitfalls.
Unfortunately, far too many plumbers choose to exist in the “gig economy,” which involves buying leads from third-party lead sellers who use paid ads (PPC) to generate shared leads.
Choosing this route will likely cause your business to go under within 5 years. The successful approach is partnering with a plumbing digital marketing agency for SEO, website design, and AI Overview optimization.
By creating a sustainable lead source through organic search results and Google Maps, you can consistently acquire the highest-quality plumbing leads in your marketing and enjoy massive profit margins.
Some of the most essential plumbing marketing tasks include:
Custom Business Website
Google Business Profile
Organic SEO
Social Media Marketing
AI / AEO Marketing (AI Overviews)
13) Get Your First Client
Your marketing investment will help you land your first client when they book your service through your custom business website or Google Business Profile.
While there are other ways to land your first client, such as word-of-mouth (through family or friends) or buying third-party leads, these are not worth celebrating because they don’t move your business forward.
When you land your first legitimate client through your digital brand, you will get a sense of your company’s potential and profit projections.
It would be a good idea to celebrate this accomplishment by taking your employees out to dinner.
14) Build a Sustainable Brand
Building a sustainable brand is the key to plumbing business success. I stress the importance of investing in digital branded assets, such as a website and an organic web presence.
It would help if you started building your reputation by collecting customer reviews on Google and Facebook and showcasing them on your website.
Ensure you own your plumbing domain name and don’t use a subdomain from Wix or Weebly.
Furthermore, use your website to showcase real plumbing jobs and customer feedback to familiarize people with your company.
Brand building can extend to offline spaces in your local community, such as sponsoring local Little League teams or joining industry associations.
However, these offline events must be reflected in online behaviors, such as more people searching for your brand name online or institutions linking their websites to yours.
As your brand increases prominence over months, years, and decades, your lead quality and profitability will continue to rise.
How Much Money Do You Need to Start a Plumbing Business?
Most startup plumbing businesses need a least $5,000 to get started with a small operation. However, larger-scale operations with multiple employees and trucks can require up to $200,000.
Check out a fictional estimate of business expenses below:
Sample Expenses:
License and Registration: $350
Tools and Equipment: $5,000
Insurance: $2,000
Truck: $30,000
Marketing: $2,500
Advertising: $3,000
Office Space: $12,000
Uniforms: $500
Sample Subtotal: $55,350
Remember, these are sample expenses, and yours will vary depending on your company’s size and scope. For instance, one-man shows may not require an office immediately, and having only one truck will reduce your upfront investment.
Consult with the business plan you created in step one to better understand how much money you’ll need to start your business. Always leave room for unforeseen costs, such as equipment damage and material price fluctuations.
How to Start a Plumbing Business Without Being a Plumber
Starting a plumbing business without being a plumber will require hiring a supervisor or master plumber with the proper local licensing.
Each state has varying regulations, sometimes deferred to cities, counties, or townships.
Some states don’t require state-level licensing for plumbers, but that does not mean your business can operate without a local license.
The following states don’t explicitly require state-level licensing for plumbers:
Kansas
Missouri
Nebraska
New York
Pennsylvania
Wyoming
Licensing may still be required at the city, county, or township level, though your local municipality must confirm those specifics.
Never rely solely on the internet or AI for a definitive answer, and double-check with your local municipalities before attempting to start a business.
Moving Forward With Your Plumbing Business
Starting a plumbing company is an excellent investment that allows you to enter a growing industry valued at $166.5 billion.
While its prospects intrigue many, succeeding in this industry will require deliberate and strategic planning and a full-fledged commitment to building a sustainable business.
Use the 14 steps outlined in this article as a guide for starting your plumbing business on a solid foundation. It begins with a comprehensive business plan and the pre-definition of measurable goals.
Success in this industry is also dependent on a unique value proposition (UVP), compliance with local regulations, financial planning, and data-driven hiring.
Perhaps most importantly, running a profitable plumbing company means investing in digital marketing for plumbers. Avoid the pitfalls of buying third-party leads and neglecting your digital brand.
Instead, you should invest in a business website, SEO, Google Business Profile, brand signals, and AI or AEO optimization.
To discuss my experience helping plumbers start prosperous businesses, call my personal cell phone at (877) 388-9884.
SEO is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. One of the most significant distinctions between a website’s ability to optimize quickly is its age. Old websites tend to optimize more rapidly than their newer counterparts.
Why? Because having been on the internet for years (decades in some cases), Google has indexed the website and noted its consistent presence. Therefore, even non-optimized websites with an indexed domain hold value for future plumbing SEO services.
In contrast, brand new plumbing websites take longer to optimize. Since there is no record of their existence on the internet (because it ceased to exist), Google won’t automatically trust it, even if it’s well optimized.
Web admins can’t accelerate tenure without producing an excessive amount of high-quality links, something that is almost impossible to accomplish for a local plumber and may cause penalization. Let’s discuss optimizing old vs. new websites:
Old Websites
Older sites are the easiest to optimize, and they can quickly achieve success through optimization. For example, if your plumbing company has been around since, let’s say, 1999, and has had a cheap website up since, let’s say, 2003, it has a digital tenure of 16 years.
Even if the site was pure trash from an SEO & content standpoint, the representation of your business on a legitimate domain name still holds value.
Once a professional SEO company optimizes your site correctly, you could see significant improvements in as little as 3-4 weeks. The only scenario in which old websites are non-favorable is when they’ve been manually penalized by Google.
However, your site probably does not have a penalty unless you intentionally built spammy links, violating Google’s guidelines.
Let’s go ahead and assume that’s not the case with your company. Here’s why age helps optimization:
Authority
Old domains possess inherent authority because Google indexed these addresses years and sometimes decades earlier. Thus, even if a website failed to live up to proper SEO, its existence within Google’s index is enough to establish a baseline of authority.
Tenure
The age (tenure) of the exact web address influences its ability to optimize. You can check a domain’s tenure by using whois.com, which lists the initial registration date of the website. You can also view its visual history by visiting archive.org.
Trust
Google’s top priority is giving its users trusted search results. So it’s common sense why aged domains would be safer for Google to publish than brand new ones. After all, Google already evaluated every site in its index.
New Websites
Many plumbers don’t have the luxury of optimizing an old website because they are a brand new business or never purchased a domain name. In either case, SEO is far more frustrating and takes longer to work. Still, newer plumbing companies shouldn’t let that discourage them from performing SEO.
There are methods to supplement traffic while you wait the 6+ months for your SEO to kick in properly.
You can target long-tail keywords and low-competition keyphrases to get your website indexed faster. Depending on your company’s location, you may have an easier time ranking for obscure keywords. For example, let’s say you service a city with a population of under 5,000 people.
You can probably rank for a phrase like sump pump repair in city, st sooner than six months in such a scenario. But, of course, more competitive keywords like plumber near me, will take at least six months, if not longer.
You can find a keyword’s difficulty using MOZ, SEMRush, or another similar SEO tool. However, since websites aren’t usually dedicated to sump pump repair, having high-quality internal pages that focus on that topic can rank websites (even very new ones) quickly.
So here are some things to focus on with a new website:
Freshness
Sites with limited tenure should frequently publish new content to build authority on Google. Conversely, sites with little to no content have a more challenging time establishing trust and topical authority within Google’s index. Consider adding new service pages and blog posts each week.
Reputation
Another way to speed up SEO for new websites is by associating your website with a reputable business. You can do so by enhancing your business reputation on online directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and plumbing-related directories.
Supplementation
Try driving traffic to your website from other sources besides organic search. For example, invest in Facebook Ads, share posts on social media, and start an email campaign with a tool like MailChimp or SendinBlue. Then, as more traffic comes through your website, Google may index pages faster.
Meeting in the Middle
Once a new website reaches a certain level of authority, it can compete with older and more previously established domains. The old website’s inherent advantage goes away once the new one sets itself on the same level.
The goal for new plumbing companies is to expedite the process as much as possible. Once you’ve established authority, whether, with a new or old website, you should focus on the following principles to sustain your search rankings.
Content Marketing
As new keywords emerge, it’s your job to produce content that meets your consumer’s needs. For example, a page about cast iron drain repair helps signal specific service offerings to search engines and builds trust among present and future customers.
Likewise, showcasing a recent sump pump repair job is worth sharing on your service and city pages and may increase engagement for your website.
On-Page SEO
It is critical to keep up with Google’s latest algorithm changes and adjust your on-page SEO as necessary. For example, Google recently started using passage indexing which splits sections of your pages and posts into individualized results.
With this in mind, it’s a bright idea to break your content into different sections using headers and tables of contents. You should also build internal links for each new page you publish. For instance, your slab leak repair page should link to your common slab leak causes blog post.
Off-Page SEO
Never stop promoting your brand and company on as many platforms as possible. For example, if a new social media platform emerges or a new plumbing directory, make sure you list your business information on the new website.
Not only can they serve as nofollow links, but they can help your company reach as many eyes as possible. In addition, make sure to continuously generate reviews for your business on as many review platforms as possible.
